PR & Communications Strategist (Short-term Contract)

Location: Remote or New York NY (as needed) 

Engagement Type: Independent Contractor (1099) 

Fixed Fee Range: $3200-$3600 Final compensation will be determined based on experience skills and agreed-upon scope and monthly deliverables rather than tracked hours. This is a fixed-fee project not an hourly engagement. You will be paid out monthly on a net 30 day schedule

Projected Timeline: Start September 2026 / Estimated end September 2026 (approx. 4 weeks) 

Estimated Hours: Must be available on EST hours Approx. 40 hours total not to exceed 40 without prior written approval (10 hours per week) 

Extension: This is a discrete one-month scope. A second phase covering messaging architecture and pilot roadmap development may follow in October subject to client alignment. Extension is possible but not guaranteed and is not part of this engagement. 

Potential Phase Two (Not Included in This Scope) 

If the client elects to move forward beyond the strategic proposal a follow-on engagement in October would cover pilot roadmap development: building condition-level message pillars for each priority audience segment structuring narrative and messaging governance so every external mention reinforces one story identifying high-authority media and publisher targets for outreach and aligning on resource requirements and the integrated team plan to move into execution. This phase would be scoped and contracted separately. 

About the Role

We are seeking a senior PR / Comms Copywriter (Freelancer) for a focused full-time one-month engagement to build the strategic foundation for a third-party citation pilot on a major consumer health platform. Search engines and AI platforms trust content more when credible outside sources back it up. Before we can go build those citations we need a clear-eyed view of where the opportunity actually is: who is already being cited which publications carry credibility with which audiences and what realistic pathways exist for this brand to earn the same standing. 

That is the entire job this month. You are not writing placements yet and you are not building the roadmap yet; you are producing the research point of view and strategic proposal that gets the clients Comms team to the table and de-risks their approval. The single deliverable is a proposal strong enough to drive a collaborative conversation with Comms and internal stakeholders about what to activate and how. 

This is a highly regulated pharma account so recommendations have to be credible to a Comms team that will scrutinize them. Success looks like a tight well-evidenced proposal delivered inside four weeks with options that are specific enough to act on and honest about tradeoffs. 

Scope of Work 

Competitive & Citation Audit 

• Conduct a competitor placement and citation audit where competitors are being cited by whom and through what kind of content. 

• Run citation teardowns on the strongest examples to identify what earned them the citation and what is reproducible. 

• Identify whitespace and opportunity areas where the brand can credibly compete rather than chase. 

Audience & Credibility Mapping 

• Map which placements carry genuine credibility for each priority persona and condition area trade consumer health clinical caregiver and adjacent media. 

• Assess publications and platforms for domain authority and citation likelihood not just brand-name recognition. 

• Flag the sources most likely to be surfaced and cited by AI platforms in the relevant condition areas. 

Options Development & Strategic Proposal 

• Propose content placement and activation options for generating external citations digital PR trade press contributed bylines data assets and other credible pathways. 

• Pressure-test each option against feasibility regulatory reality and likely Comms objections. 

• Write the full strategic proposal findings point of view recommended options rationale and open questions built to drive collaborative conversation with the client Comms team and internal stakeholders. 

• Draft supporting narrative language and framing for the recommendation as needed. 

Collaboration & Alignment 

• Work directly with the Executive Producer Comms strategy oversight lead and Account Director throughout the month. 

• Write with regulatory reality in mind anticipate Medical Legal and Regulatory (MLR) review and recommend only what can be substantiated. 

• Participate in working sessions and revision cycles; inputs will evolve as research lands. 

Deliverables 

• Competitor placement and citation audit with teardowns of top-performing examples. 

• Audience-to-placement credibility map across priority personas and condition areas. 

• Prioritized set of content placement and activation options with rationale and tradeoffs. 

• Strategic proposal with opportunity findings the primary deliverable client-ready and built for stakeholder alignment. 

Qualifications :

• 5 years of experience in PR corporate communications editorial or brand narrative writing agency in-house comms team or newsroom. 

• Must be available and responsive during core Eastern Time business hours (approximately 9:00 AM6:00 PM ET) for working sessions revision cycles and real-time collaboration with the Executive Producer Comms strategy lead and Account Director. This is a focused deadline-driven engagement and is not suited to candidates unable to commit dedicated daytime availability alongside other full-time work. 

• Proven ability to turn research and competitive analysis into a defensible strategic recommendation not just a findings deck. 

• Direct experience writing in healthcare pharma or another regulated category; familiarity with MLR or equivalent review processes strongly preferred. 

• Track record placing or drafting contributed content bylines trade press and digital PR in credible publications you know what actually gets accepted. 

• Working familiarity with SEO GEO or how AI platforms source and cite content is a strong plus. 

• Comfortable operating with speed and independence inside a compressed four-week window with a fixed deliverable. 

• Clear concise communication skills able to present and defend recommendations to senior client stakeholders. 

• LLC a plus. 

• Bachelors degree preferred. Portfolio or writing samples required ideally including a strategic proposal messaging framework or placed contributed piece. 

Additional Information :

Workplace 
Sia values in-person collaboration. When serving clients consultants may be required to work onsite at a client location based on engagement needs. Between client engagements consultants are expected to work from a Sia office or approved coworking location at least three days per week. Candidates should reside within a reasonable commuting distance of a Sia office or approved coworking location. Sia maintains offices and coworking arrangements across multiple U.S. markets including New York City Charlotte Greater Seattle San Francisco Greater Bay Area Los Angeles Houston Atlanta Baltimore Chicago Washington D.C. 

Work Authorization 

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application and throughout their employment. This position is not eligible for employment visa sponsorship now or in the future. 

Our Commitment 

At Sia we believe in fostering a diverse equitable and inclusive culture where our employees and partners are valued and thrive in a sense of belonging.  

Remote Work :

Yes

Employment Type :

Contract